by Sneha Babu
A Mystery
Mystery
Date Published: 10-14-2023
His world. Her world. My world. Your world. It’s all the same, yet entirely different. It’s nothing but another one of God’s oxymorons laughing at us. Some people spend their entire life waiting for an epiphany. While some live.
Sneha Babu’s debut novel Magic in Errors unravels a story showing how the Universe works in beautiful and heart-breaking ways—beginning with a neon-colored hair tie. Over the course of a few days, this seemingly insignificant accessory passes through the hands of six people; strangers, lovers, friends, and enemies. Every encounter sets off a chain reaction of events, forever altering their lives in ways they never could have imagined.
Amidst their unique struggles, a slum boy, musician, policeman, celebrity, movie agent, and businesswoman grapple with the struggle to truly live rather than merely survive. Their lives intertwine in intricate ways, as they confront devastating choices, experience powerful emotions, and endure lasting tragedies, even long after one of them murders another.
What lessons can the world teach us? Does it always pay to be kind? How could someone be connected to a person they have never met? How can a hair tie change the course of someone’s life? Find out in Magic in Errors.
EXCERPT
Now that Aanjaney is alone once more, he carefully opens the envelope, seeing it’s a little wet from the rain, and pulls out the letter. He carefully holds the piece of paper and starts reading.
Hi there,
So, yeah. I’m dead. Are you crying?
It’s two in the morning. My room is filled with the smell of freshly-bloomed jasmines from outside, but they’re not half as pretty as you, I swear. Many years ago, do you know what I told people when they asked me how we were so in love all the time? I told them it’s because we count stars at night together and give shapes to clouds during the day. Now, I don’t know where you are or how you are doing. But I do know that you are still somewhere under those few billion stars we counted. After you were gone, I remember missing you between my laughs and all the imaginary kisses we shared. You and I, we made a pretty great team—all the weirdness included.
All the secrets beyond the skies, layers and layers of history safeguarded by the earth, and the never-ending horizon. Yet, it’s strange how two tiny specks find each other, unlocking magic as limitless as the cosmos. It’s fascinating that mere fragments of this marvelous oeuvre have a unique story written for them in the stars. Sadly, our story reached an expiry date. But that doesn’t make it any less real. The point is, I want you to live your life. I am glad I met you, Aanjaney Iyer. Now, whatever happens next, I know I have lived because I have loved.
Eventually, the dusk of your life will open its sleepy eyes, ready to show you the incredible morning. When the first rays come knocking on your windows, don’t be afraid to pull up the blinds. You’ll see. You’ll see that light won’t hurt. I don’t know when or how I might die. I just hope it’s not too soon. I used to think of time as sand slipping away from my feet. When we were together, those sands held my roots. We grew up laughing, loving, and making mistakes together with a fortunate stroke of serendipity. Now, I am not so sure… I just… Did I find a family, Aanjaney? Did I die sad? I am sure Raphael will take care of everything. He wouldn’t let me die like an old maiden. Beneath all that anger, he is a sweet, little man. Old, but still sexy, right?
Don’t miss me too much, okay? Now, stop worrying.
I liked you because I thought you were perfect. I loved you when I realized you weren’t. There’s magic in errors, darling. Real stuff.
So, be happy. Love hard. Be fierce.
Yours,
Yours
(PS: Get ready for some serious haunting.)
Aanjaney folds the letter neatly before putting it in his pocket. He walks into the rain for one final touch.
About the Author
Born and raised in India, Sneha Babu is a 25 year old STEM major, co-founder of a feminist media company by day and author by night. A few years ago, she plotted the trajectory of this story during a discrete mathematics class (there was a flow chart involved). Sneha did not know it then but she had created something that would go on to heal her future self. From trying to solve the climate crisis to smashing patriarchy, her life is an endless rollercoaster of daring dreams.
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